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Guest Columns

Site Selection is not a magazine most of us would keep on our coffee table, but for those in government and business who track economic development, this publication is one not to be missed.
Fortunately, it has had a lot of good things to say about Kentucky in recent years, and over the past two, it has awarded us its annual Governor’s Cup for having more major job announcements than any other state on a per capita basis.

To get a better understanding of just how prevalent obesity has become in America, consider that no state had more than 20 percent of its adult population fall in that category in 1996. Today, no state has less.
Kentucky has seen its rate for adults double during that timeframe, from about 16 percent to more than 32 percent, putting us 12th highest among the 50 states. Unfortunately, the state rankings are worse for our children, with high schoolers leading the nation and those not yet school age ranked sixth.

This weekend we honor the brave men and women who gave their lives for this great country. Originally referred to as “Decoration Day,” the holiday originated after the Civil War as Americans would decorate the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers each year. Following WWI it took on new significance and all of America’s wars were from then on included and observed in the holiday we now know as “Memorial Day.”

On Monday, our nation will pause as it has for more than 150 years to remember and pay tribute to those who gave their lives protecting our nation.
There are more than 1.2 million names on that list, about half of which were added during the four years of the Civil War.

Last week, state tourism leaders unveiled the latest annual study on the positive impact this industry has in Kentucky. In a word, the news was good.
Overall, tourism generated nearly $14 billion in direct and indirect sales in 2015, a five percent increase over 2014’s total. It supported 186,000 jobs and provided nearly $1.5 billion in state and local tax revenue.

When Michelle Smith talks about God, tears trickle down her cheeks.
A 13th-generation native Floridian, she’s selling or giving away all of her possessions to move to the Congo in central Africa, one of the most volatile areas on the planet.
She’ll be joining a small handful of other people who feel called by God to “come and die,” as Michelle says, for the sake of the gospel of peace.

A quarter-century ago, Kentucky had nowhere to go but up when it came to the education levels of adults 25 and older.
Only two-thirds had graduated from high school, and less than a sixth had earned a bachelor’s degree. No state had a lower combined percentage.

[EDITOR’S NOTE: This week’s column was written by Robert Fulk, Ed.S, who is the Chief Academic Officer/Assistant Superintendent of Trimble County Schools.]

All Trimble County students K-8 take the PASS test three times a year in reading and math. This is an in-district diagnostic test that is used to track student progress, arrange our intervention groups, and determine our readiness for KPREP testing at the end of the year. We look at a couple areas on the PASS test:

Other than constitutional amendments, which go before the voters, every bill the General Assembly passes has to clear one final hurdle before becoming law: The governor’s pen.
The governor has the authority to sign or reject bills, or to let them become law without a signature. He or she can only approve or veto bills in their entirety – except in budgetary matters, which can be line-item vetoed without affecting the rest.